Massachusetts Genealogy, With a Focus on Mayflower Families & Other Early Settlers of Plymouth & Barnstable Counties

Welcome! I really enjoy exchanging information with people and hope this blog will help with that. I am not an expert and I consider most of my research as a work in progress. Some of the surnames I'm researching:

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Francis Baker and Isabel Twining of 17th century Yarmouth, MA

Francis Baker was born about 1611 in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England. He came to Plymouth Colony on the ship Planter in 1635. He was called a tailor on the passenger list, a common subterfuge by which many skilled artisans left England. His parents are not known.

Francis married Isabel Twining 17 June 1641, probably at Plymouth. Isabel was the daughter of William and Ann (____) Twining. Some sources have her as the daughter of William Twining Jr., but that’s inaccurate.

Francis was permitted to dwell at Yarmouth in June 1641. He lived at what became the Mayfair area in Dennis, at the head of Kelley’s Bay on Bass River and near Follins Pond. His original neighbors were Thomas Folland, Gabriel Whelden and William Twining.

Follins Pond, Dennis source: Wikipedia

The family is believed to have been Quakers, as were many of their neighbors in the Mayfair area. Swift wrote that Francis was “not in full accord with Puritan notions.”

In 1653 he was in court for "selling wines without license." On 8 June 1655 John Hall of Yarmouth complained that Francis Baker was abusing his servant Samuel Hall, who was John Hall’s son, by kicking him and unreasonably striking him. The court took Samuel away, putting him in the custody of his father and the father was to pay Baker 8 pounds for Samuel's remaining term. There is no record of Francis being warned or fined.

In 1659 he was living in Eastham on 10 acres "lying upon Poche" by the land of his father-in-law William Twining. He soon sold the land and returned to Yarmouth where he was a copper and later a blacksmith. He served the town as surveyor of highways and on the jury. (Note that Nancy Thacher Reid writes that he never left Yarmouth.)

Francis Baker wrote his will on 4 March 1692/3. Isabel is named as “Jesball,” and he leaves her his house and lands (meadow and uplands) at Yarmouth, his cattle and moveable goods during her lifetime. He left five shillings to each of his children John, Daniel, William, Elizabeth Chase and Hannah Pearse. He left two shillings to his grandson Samuel, the eldest son of his son Nathaniel. All other real estate and moveable goods to go to his son Thomas. Thomas and widow named executors.

The inventory was taken on 24 November 1696 by Benjamin Gage (signed by a mark) and Isaac Chace and sworn to 8 December, 1696 by Thomas Baker of Yarmouth. The real estate, housing lands and meadow and orchard, had a value of £30.

Francis Baker died 23 July 1696 at Yarmouth at age 85, the last of the “First Comers” to pass on. He and Isabel had been married 55 years. Isabel died 16 May 1706.

The Baker homestead was not sufficiently large enough to accommodate the growth of this family and the second generation settled in the area near the present day Ezra Baker School where West Dennis and South Dennis merge, and northward and eastward along the shore of Grand Cove.

Francis and Isabel had eight children: Nathaniel, John, Elizabeth, Samuel, Daniel, Thomas, Hannah, and William. My information on the Baker children is not complete.

Nathaniel married and had three sons Samuel, Nathaniel and Silas. I’ve seen conflicting information on his wife/wives. Some sources give his wife as Desire (perhaps Gray) and others give Mary Pierce as his first wife, Desire as second. Nathaniel died December 1691 in Yarmouth.

John Baker married Alice Pierce, daughter of Abraham. They had seven children: Jonathan, Isaac, Mary, John, Bethiah, Elizabeth, and Sarah. They raised their family in Yarmouth. I believe he served in King Philip’s War, despite his Quaker religion.

Elizabeth married John Chase and they had eight children: Sarah, Desire, John, Thomas, Jeremiah, Isaac, William, and Jonathan.

Samuel married Martha ____ and had Martha, Daniel, Hannah, and Sarah. I believe he also served in King Philip’s War. Have read his children relocated to Swansea.

Daniel married Elizabeth Chase and had Joseph, Daniel, Samuel, Abraham, Elisha, Hannah, Thankful, Tabitha, and Elizabeth. Daniel served in King Philip’s War. He built a house in Dennis, now the oldest one standing in town and known as the Judah Baker house.

Thomas married Bersua (Lewis?) and had Mary and Thomas. He seems to have also served in King Philip’s War.

William Baker married Mercy Lawrence and lived at Yarmouth. They had 12 children: Mercy, William, Dorcas, Experience, Judah, Elizabeth, Josiah, Johanna, Patience, Elisha, James, and Thankful. He also served in King Philip’s War.

I have many Baker lines and descend from siblings Nathaniel, Elizabeth, John, William, and Daniel.

Sources:

Charles F. Swift, History of Old Yarmouth; comprising the present Towns of Yarmouth and Dennis from the Settlement to the Division in 1794: With the History of Both Towns to 1876. Yarmouth Port, MA: The Historical Society of Old Yarmouth, 1975 reprint.

Anonymous said...Hello,I'm trying to find out information on Jeremiah Kelley (1766-1854) and Hannah Gilman they married and had a daugher names Susannah Kelley (1816-1848). Jeremiah and Hannah would be my 4th great grandparents, and I would love to find out who their parents were, but haven't had much luck so far finding out more about them. I would love to hear from anybody who has the information about this family.Thanks,Stacy robstacy@bresnan.net

I have a huge ancestry tree and seems William Twining was my 11th great grandfather. I cannot verify all the facts of the people in my tree but it is public under melindahoward206 and is astonishly huge!

According to a family geneology, I am descended from Francis Baker from a line that settled in Michigan early 1800's. My mother was that last of her line without cousins or sibilings. I am trying to confirm several parts of this geneolgy. If anyone can help with this project please post

The bits of history I can contribute begin with Benjamin Baker (b. 1809), fourth great grandson of Francis Baker (b. 1611). The rest of my knowledge comes from Florence W Baker’s history in the Cape Cod. If anyone has an interest in the line descending through Benjamin, please contact me. Also, of course I would be very interested to learn more of Benjamin’s ancestors back to Francis.

Thank you for your collection of information. Frances was my eighth great grandfather. It has been wonderful to read your collection of information as well as how you have tracked the lineage from England. Thank you, you just made my New Year special.

Thank you for your research! I just found out that Francis Baker is my 9th great-grandfather and I had no idea that my family history is part of first families history! Very cool to be able to trace back all the way to England. My lineage is from his son William and William's son Josiah. This group migrated to NY then WI and MN based on what I have in my ancestory tree. Wow!!

I am trying to find out how we are connected to Francis ans Isabel Baker. We have several DNA connections to them. My great-great grandfather was Stephen Harrison Baker who was born in 1790 in New England, supposedly Connecticut. I would really like to discover which of Francis' decendents connects us. Please contact me at cshelton52@hotmail.com id you can help me. Thank you.

Herman Ellsworth Baker (son of Mayhew Baker) is the last of my direct line to live in Falmouth. There’s been questions whether Herman is the father or grandfather of my grandfather Robert Clifton Baker. The disconnect happens around the time of the influenza outbreak in Minneapolis around 1919. If anyone has any info I’d appreciate it. -Michelle Baker

Wonderfully written, thank you. My line: Francis, John, Jonathan, Isaac, Seth, Zenas, Lewis, Ahira (Hiram), Edgar, Raymond, to my father, Edwin. Does anyone have any information on Lewis' first wife, Bethana...can't find any mention of her other than her death in 1825...but having fun looking!

About Me

I'm a Massachusetts native, a wife, mother of three and a genealogy nut. I work at a Senior Center planning activities and trips. My other loves include crafting, home decorating, reading, my three rescue dogs, and the Red Sox and the Boston Bruins. Email: Please contact me at: tessiecami(at)gmail(dot)com. If you're not a computerized robot, you'll know where to put the "at" sign and "dot." Thank you!